From the calendar, 2028.

Friday, December 29

Holy Innocents Slain by Herod

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Appointed to be read.

At the
1. EpistleHebrews 11:8, 11–16
2. GospelMark 12:1–12

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Epistle.

Hebrews 11:8, 11–16

1 min read

8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

11By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

12Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.

15And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

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Gospel.

Mark 12:1–12

1 min read

1Then He began to speak to them in parables: 'A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

2Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.

3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

4Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

5And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.

6Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

8So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9'Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.

10Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

11This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? '

12And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

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In remembrance.

Holy Innocents Slain by HerodRead the life

See Matthew ch. 2. Their number is sometimes put at fourteen thousand.

In our own day, the icon of “Rachel weeping for her children” (Matthew 2:18) has come to commemorate also the tens of millions of children who have died through abortion.

Our Venerable Father Marcellus, Abbot of the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones (485)Read the life

He was born to a wealthy family in Syria at the beginning of the fifth century. Early in life he saw the futility of worldly things, gave away all of his wealth, and went to Ephesus, where he earned his living as a scribe. There he was schooled in the virtues by his fellow-worker Promotus, a slave who distributed most of his earnings to the poor; after the day’s work was done, Promotus would take Marcellus to pray all night in the churches and monasteries.

Marcellus heard of the Saint Alexander the Unsleeping (February 25), who had settled near Constantinople with about thirty disciples, who made it their discipline to send up prayer and praise to God at every hour of the day and night. The monastery aroused the resentment of some more worldly monasteries, and the brethren were forced to flee to Bithynia. It was there that Marcellus joined them and took the monastic habit.

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Further.

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What this is.

The Scripture the Orthodox Church reads each day, the saints it remembers, and a study aid that answers from Scripture and the Fathers and shows its sources.

Divine Liturgy. The Church's main service, at which Holy Communion is given. Its Epistle and Gospel are what most people mean by the day's readings.

Matins. The morning service of praise. On Sundays and feasts it has a Gospel of its own.

Vespers. The evening service. The Church's day begins at sunset, so a feast's Vespers is served the evening before.

Hours. Short services of psalms and prayer at set times of the day: the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours.

Tone. The hymns of the week are sung in one of eight tones, or melodies, which follow each other week by week.

New Calendar. Fixed feasts are kept on the civil date, as in the OCA and the Antiochian Archdiocese. Churches on the Old Calendar keep them 13 days later. Pascha is the same for both.